In rural Swaida where people’s incomes depend on agriculture and livestock breeding; the lack of power and irrigation water, as well as the low-capacity efficiencies of the water wells due to frequent malfunctioning, not to mention the high prices of the fodders and veterinary services, left people obliged to give up breeding livestock.
For those people, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteers have planned an intervention to distribute pregnant ewes to 100 families, who work in agriculture and livestock breeding and live around the poverty line, in Al-Anat village in Rural Swaida.
The selection criteria were based to target the affected families who are permanently settled in the village and depend on livestock breeding as a main source of income.
Why the intervention is important:
- Livestock breeding is a traditional profession in the village
- The deterioration of the agricultural activities due to the lack of water
- Most people there are living below the line of poverty
- Lack of job opportunities.
- The remote location of the village
- The market demand for dairy products which are part of the Syrian culture food.
- The good experience and well-equipped space for livestock breeding.
The implementation steps:
At the very beginning of the project, the volunteers held a meeting with representatives from the Directorate of Agriculture and the Directorate of Livestock Development. This step aimed to promote the project and move one to carry out the assessment and selection process. On the second step, the distribution process was kicked off where each family received 2 pregnant ewes and 600 Kg fodders.
Periodic Monitoring
Monitoring the health of the sheep is part of the grant where the volunteers and specialized vets carry 3 visits weekly to ensure flock health and provide the needed veterinary services.
Promising achievements
After two months of the distribution, the ewes gave birth to new babies sheep that will grow up and increase productivity, and bear a positive impact on the families’ living situation.
The project helped 100 families of sheep breeders to regain their livelihood, and contributed to keeping food security in the long term, with the support of the IFRC and in collaboration with the Directorate of the Livestock Development in Sawida governorate.
